Friends:

I am writing this from the floor during one of our many breaks we have had throughout the day, awaiting Senate action on school finance.  Please accept my apologies for not writing sooner, but we have been in and out of strategy meetings, lobbying our Senators, and working on numbers for the past couple of days, pretty much nonstop.

As many of you know, our education coalition held a press conference yesterday offering an olive branch to the Senate.  With our official position sitting at $155 million for schools (that’s the amount the House has passed), we hoped that offering a compromise would encourage the Senate to join us in the school debate.  The compromise was slightly lower at $128 million, but still accomplished our goals of actually solving problems like at-risk, bilingual, and special education funding. 

We insisted the Senate run a plan first – they have shown no interest in working on legitimate education funding through new revenue sources, and we have proven our dedication to it.  The Senate voted to send the bill back to conference for “more negotiation”.   Of course, that motion was not voted on until after midnight last night, as many House members, including myself, looked on in disgust.

Most recently, a new plan has been developed.  It’s the proverbial “last train leaving the station”.  It is $108 million, funds education at 85% instead of 100%, adds $75 to the Base State Aid Per Pupil, increases bilingual and at-risk funding, and includes a 2.5% increase in the Local Option Budget (we Johnson County like that because it means the money stays in our school districts).  Where does the money come from?  Here’s the part you’ll like.  All of the following will sunset in one year:  A much lower income tax surcharge (2.5%), a 1.5% sales tax increase, and $8 million from the ending balance.

• Income tax surcharge:  This is not a tax increase on your total income.  You figure out your KS Adjusted Gross Income (KAGI), and then take 2.5% of that and add it on top. 
• What does it mean for you?  On a $60,000 income (that’s the JoCo average), you will pay an extra Combo Meal a month.  About $6.00.

We are literally at a breaking point.  I don’t know who else the Senate needs to hear from, but we are coming dangerously close to the edge.  What’s off the cliff?  Nothing for schools this year.  That is the challenge that lies before the Senate.  Something will break this evening, and I will keep you updated as soon as it does.  Then again, we may be here again tomorrow morning…

In that case – stay tuned for a noteworthy “Inside Kansas Politics”, where we facilitate phone lines a little better than last week, but our guests, Rep. Don Hill, Rep. Jeff Jack, and Rep. Josh Svaty, and the hosts for that matter, will be a bit punchy and working on little sleep!

I want to get this out before you head home for the weekend – if you get this, drop me a line!

Stephanie